The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-05
II Would Not BE Prudent for the
Pope to Oppose II, on
This Account
AND BECAUSE or rHE REALITY
OF TIE WRONGS
or the WerkIngman Which Are Rec
Ognized by the American
Public.
CARDINAL GIBBOSs's BRAVE AND
AUMANE DECLARATIONS
Sustaining the Legality OF a Noble
Order According 10 the Church's
STANDARD.


New YoRK, March 4.-The follow
ing embraces the essential passages OF
Cardinal Gibbons report to the
Propaganda on the knights OF Labor,
as teegraphed from Rome to the
Herald:
cardinal oIBBoEs's COMMUNICATION.
5c His Eminence, Cardinal SIneoni, Pro.
feet Of the Holy Congregation OF the
PrOpAgaAi
YoUR EkIHKNCE-In submitting TO
the Ho y See the conclusions which,
sfer several months OF observation
and deep II Election, seem to me to
sum mp the question Of the associa.
ton OF TIE Knights OF Labor, l am
strongly convinced Of the vast i'm port.
ance OF this question, which forms but
one ring In the great chain OF the so.
eial problems of our day, and especial
ly OF our country. In judging this
question have taken great care TO
use as my constant guide the spirit OF
the eneS elicsls in which our holy
father, Pope Leo XIII, has 80 admir-
Sbly exposed the dangers OF our time,
and their remedies, and has explained
the principles by which we ehall be-
guided in distinguishing the associa-
tions condemned by the Holy See.
Such also were the guides Of the third
Plensry Council OF Baltimore In ita
teachings about the principles to be
followed and the dangers to be avoid
ed by the faithful in the form alton Of
associations toward which the spirit Of
eur popular institutions 30 Strongly
impels. Considering the fatal conss-
ounce that might result through
AN nRRoR IN THE TREATMENT OF THB
ORGANIZATIONS.
which often count their numbers by
Thousands and hundreds of thousands,
the council wisely ordered mo 256)
that when an association has spread
into several dioceses no single bishop
OF thess doceses may condemn IL, but
must refer the case TO the permanent
commission OF all the Archbishops OF
the United States, who, In their turn,
are not author Esd to Issue condemns.
ton unless their decision is unaui-
NOUS, and In default OF such unan-
unity only the Holy See itself can i'm
pose such condemnation, SO that
error and confusion in ecclesiastical
discipline may be averted. This COM
mission Of AIchbishops met toward
the end OF the month OF October last
TO espec ally consider the association
OF the Knights OF Labor. We were
not led TO hold this meeting by any
request on the part Of the Bishops,
for none of them did demand II,
and II must be added that OF all the
Bishops only two or three were known
TO desire the condemnation. But the
importance OF the question, In itself
and IN the estimation OF the Holy See,
made rs Famine II with the greatest
care Alter our discussion, the reeu Ia
OF which have alre' dy basn communi.
sated 10 the Holy Congregation Of the
Pfopsp ands, only two out of the
twelve Archbishops voted for the con-
demnatiop--that is to say, the Arch
bishopof b. Louis and the Archbish-
op OF Santa Fe, who followed suit, for
Teasons which In no way persuaded
the others, either by the juetice or
prudeUes OF such condemnation. la
the considerations which follow, l wish
10 give In detail thu reasons which de.
termined the vote Of the great msjoll.
ity OF the Commission, the
TRuTH AND FORCE
OF which do not seem TO me less pow
eIful today. At the same time l will
try 10 do justice TO the arguments ad-
vaDced by the opposition party. And,
first, although there may be found In
the constitution, the bylaws and
official declarations OF the Knights OF
Labor certain assertions or regulations
which we might not approve, we have
not found therein the element which
the Holy See so clearly designates as
condemnatoIy, and the formula Of
their organization contains neither
oath nor obligation which precludes
those who do not belong to it, or even
their enemies, from becoming &C.
quainted with their affairs, Catholics
are not forbidden TO divulge every
thing 10 competent ecclesiastical
authorities, even outside OF the con-
iessi onal. This has been socially ex
planned 10 US by their officers. No
promise OF blind obedience Is
required. The objects of the
association and Its rules are
vel and distinctly established, and
the obligations Of obedience do not
nesspass their limits. Not only their
obi ct and their rules are not hostile
to religion or the church, hut the
very contrary. The third Plennry
Council forbids that we should con.
denim any aspiration without giving
its oificers or representatives a hear
ing iCorypheis gel socys proSciptsis, No.
224) Their NJ ,tter Workman, in
sending me copy Of the constitution,
took occasion to Say that he PROCESSES
his
RELIGION FAITHFULLY
and receives the sacraments regularly
that he BELONGS to no NJ ssonic ass c a.
tiop, or tu any other otherwise con-
demned by the church; that he
knows OF nothing in the society OF the
knights OF Labor contrary to the
regulations Of the church, and with
filial submission he begs the pastors
Of the church to examine all the DO
tails Of their organization, and says
that II thsy find therein anything re-
prehe Bible 70 point them out, and
he will faithfully promise 70 have the
proper notifications made. Aseuredly
this doss not ,ook like hostility TO the
authority Of the church, but, on the
contrary perfectly laudable spirit.
After their convention in Richmond
last year many OF their mot jealous
offic rs ana Catholic members made
&h.. nan Iac1aratinn raoaYdipg IN al =